#3: Standardized Patient

Michael shares what it's like to be act as a patient for med students training to be physicians and how being a fake patient has actually made him a better real one.

 

Easy to Pronounce

In America people can have some really crazy names. You could say I'm lucky, in a certain sense, to have such an easy name. And that's now factually true: It turns out, according to this joint study from some experimental sociologists/professors/generally intelligent people, that if you have a name that's easy to pronounce (e.g. "Michael Johnson") you're more likely to get a promotion, get voted into a political office, or make partner at your law firm. Or things like that.

Apparently human beings just prefer to deal with names that are... easier. That seems obvious, of course, but it also conversely suggests that we develop an unfair bias in professional environments against people who don't have easy names. After all, aside from a legal name-change, a name is not something a person chooses to have. As a Michael, should I really have a functional advantage over someone named Abiy (that's ah-BEE)? Or Ng (like 'ing')? The study is careful to point out that when it comes to preference, it's not just about how foreign-sounding or exotic a name is. After all, "Koa" is pretty exotic (Hawaiian, as Koa told me), but as you read it you're probably pronouncing it correctly in your head even if you've never heard it before. It all comes down to how easy a word or name is to physically vocalize with the least amount of thought. Time spent thinking about how to pronounce a name just seems like, well, a waste of time. And that, Abiy, could cost you your promotion.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's right. In fact, it's very obviously fucked up. But I do understand it. In this article written about the study, one of the researchers, Dr. Simon Laham, says:

It’s important to appreciate the subtle biases that shape our choices and judgments about others. Such an appreciation may help us de-bias our thinking, leading to fairer, more objective treatment of others.

And he's absolutely correct. It's just not going to be easy. That kind of biased thinking has got to be lodged deep in our neural networks, a difficult pre-disposition to undo. Still, admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery.

This story shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone. You may recall a Texas congresswoman a few years ago who suggested that Asian-Americans change their names to something a bit more manageable, something "we can more readily deal with here." A name like, say, Michael Johnson. Get a real name, Asians--that's basically what she's saying. I happen to like my generic Americana name, but if my name were harder to pronounce, that luxury of that appreciation would require facing an unfair system.

#2: Rock Star

Michael Johnson opens up and shares the key to living a happy life. His band's legal troubles hint at deeper issues of name and identity, but Mike doesn't let it get him down.

#1: X-Man

Michael Johnson shares two stories from two schools. A look at race vs. gender on the playground leads to a reflection on academic failure.